PM: Govt did not promise overseas scholarships to all top students

(The Star) – KUALA LUMPUR: While the Government promises scholarships for all top students, not everyone will be sent overseas, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

He said the Government was committed to giving Public Service Department (PSD) scholarships to SPM students with results of 8A+ and better.

“We didn’t promise that everyone will get overseas scholarships. This is what the public did not understand,” he told reporters here yesterday.

Najib said students given scholarships for diploma and matriculation courses were still eligible for degree-level scholarships.

“We will guarantee to sponsor students with a degree scholarship. Some people misunderstand that the sponsorship will stop at the diploma level and not be extended further,” he said, adding that the scholarship issue had been discussed with various groups, including MCA, MIC and Gerakan.

In a statement, PSD said students were chosen according to criteria approved by the Cabinet in 2009 and agreed to last year.

It said it had received 16,900 applications this year.

It said due to limited places and competition, candidates unsuccessful for overseas scholarships were offered courses in local varsities.

The department said 58.8% of overseas scholarships were granted to Bumiputra students while the rest were for non-Bumiputras.

Najib also said the Government would study the National Economic Council report on the electricity tariff review.

On reports that the increase had already been decided, he said: “We will see first. I cannot say anything.”

Najib said the subsidy rationalisation study was not about reducing subsidies but about reducing its rate of increase.

“The subsidies are increasing from the current RM12bil to some RM20bil. This means we have to find an estimated RM8bil, which is not a small sum,” he added.